Never be Comfortable

When I was a little girl, my dad used to take me and my siblings on bike rides around town. Whenever we asked him where we were going that day, he would answer, “wherever the wind takes us!” Sometimes the wind took us far, other times the wind only blew for a few minutes as we rode around the block. Most times, though, the wind blew us toward food. Once, the wind blew us on an hour trek (round trip) to Friendly’s for ice cream. We had to bike on the bike trail, through a neighborhood, and across a bridge that dangerously intersected a highway exit. Another time, the wind blew us to a variety of fast food places for a small snack from each destination. Chips from Taco Bell, fries from McDonalds, burgers from Swenson’s, etc. That one was my favorite trip.

My father is a brave, creative, and adventurous man. I have no idea what the truth is, but I genuinely believe that he left the house every time with absolutely no idea where he was going. He really went wherever the wind took him. He made decisions only when turns were necessary, and pointed his bike in the direction of his gut instinct (literally sometimes, when food was involved). Perhaps my dad was teaching us good exercise routines. Perhaps he wanted us to be directionally gifted, and planted a map of the city in our brains for us. Perhaps he just wanted to spend time with his kids and biking was his favorite way to do it. I, however, think his intentions went quite deeper than that. Even if he never intended those journeys to mean anything, they have heavily influenced my life.

Life is meant to be lived in whatever direction the wind blows you. You are not living some predestined subway line. You are not the victim of predestination. You have control over your fate. I do still believe in signs. But, I think I just believe that signs appear to those who are willing to notice them, and they do not have to listen to the signs if they do not want to. They can go off road and pave a new path. Signs are not equivalent to fate, they are merely prompts to those who are in need of guidance. Fate cannot foresee human intervention. Perhaps fate sets the scene, but humans have the ability to go off script. My point? Wherever the wind blows you, kick your legs up and be blown in that direction. See where you get.

Life is like the undertow in the ocean. I remember when I went on vacation to Cape Hatteras, which is located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, being terrified of the ocean. The undertow was incredibly powerful, and the waves repeatedly crashed violently down upon the shore. I did not go into the ocean much that vacation, as drowning is already my biggest fear in life. Due to my fear, my parents taught me how to handle the stress of the undertow, just in case I was brave enough to try the water myself. They told me that the only way out of the harsh current that pulls you away from your familiar stretch of land is to let it take you. You are supposed to remain calm, put your legs up in front of you, and let the current pull you where it pleases. Eventually, the tow dumps you out onto the beach. You just might have to walk kind of far to get back to the beach house. But, like quick sand, you cannot resist the tow. You have to trust the ocean and (quite literally) go with the flow.

That is how life should be lived. It is not easy. It is not easy to take deep breaths and remain calm during times of distress. Your body physically, mentally, and spiritually resists the idea of remaining calm when it is stressed, scared, sad, or angry. But, you just have to relinquish control and see where you end up. Being stressed does not change your situation. But, having a good outlook on life and trusting the ocean can indeed change your situation. It will physically and mentally deliver you somewhere else.

Anyway. Here are some lyrics that have impacted me this week. My sister, mom, and I used to jam to this. My mom used to think it is the most romantic song ever. Recently, though, with my whole "wherever the wind takes us" mentality, I am starting to rebel against the notion of this song. Is being comfortable really the way to be? Where is the adventure and passion in that? I recommend listening to it. But, for those of you who do not have time, here are the lyrics ("Comfortable" by John Mayer) you can read real quick:

“I just remembered that time at the market, You snuck up behind me and jumped on my shopping cart, And rode down aisle 5. You looked behind you and smiled back at me, Crashed into a rack full of magazines. They asked us if we could leave. Can't remember what went wrong last September, Though I'm sure you'd remind me if you had to. Our love was comfortable and so broken in. I sleep with this new girl I'm still getting used to. My friends all approve, say she's gonna be good for me. They throw me high fives. She says the Bible is all that she reads, And prefers that I not use profanity. Your mouth was so dirty. Life of the party, And she swears that she's artsy, But you could distinguish Miles from Coltrain. Our love was comfortable and so broken in. She's perfect, So flawless, Or so they say, Say. She thinks I can't see the smile that she's faking. The poses for pictures that aren't being taken. I loved you, Gray sweat pants, No makeup, So perfect. Our love was comfortable and so broken in. She's perfect, so flawless. I'm not impressed. I want you back.”